The present invention relates to apparatuses for protecting substrates against corrosion, electrical currents, and other adverse environmental effects.
Various methods have been proposed in the prior art for protecting a substrate from adverse environmental effects. A typical method used in the prior art is to disposed a viscous grease around the substrate in an attempt to keep adverse environmental contaminants, such as water, from corroding the substrate being protected or providing an electrical path thereto. Another common method used in the prior art has been to apply paint to the substrate. Both of these methods are disadvantageous in that insufficient corrosion protection is afforded, re-entry is difficult, the protection lasts for a relatively short period of time, they are labor intensive, and relatively expensive.
Debbaut, U.S. Ser. Nos. 434,011, 504,000, and 507,433, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference, disclose various containers which are substantially filled with gel material, the container subsequently being disposed in contact with a substrate subsequent to curing the gel. Though these containers are quite effective in protecting substrates, a problem still exists in the art in providing adequate environmental protection to a substrate having a recess therein since condensation oftentimes can still occur within a void surrounded by the recess. Furthermore, some substrates are disposed in installations wherein very little room is available for disposing a relatively large gel filled container thereat so as to completely enclose the substrate to be protected with gel.